Yarn compensator



Feb. 21, 1961 R. P. YORK ETAL YARN COMPENSATOR Filed Aug. 2, 1957 E K .R.R m mR m Maw, YW 4 2 W/W Em Y w; B a 5 YARN COMPENSATOR Raymond P. York, 619 Martha St., and Orin R. York,

2193 English St., both of High Point, N.C.

Filed Aug. 2, 1957, Ser. No. 675,923

1 Claim. (Cl. 66-146) The present invention relates to a means for controlling the rate of feeding of yarns particularly those yarns having a large degree of elasticity such as rubber yarn for use in combination with knitting machine where the yarn is to be laid-in in the knitted fabric or knitted on the knitting needles.

It is conventional practice to knit or lay-in a covered rubber yarn in the garter band portion of hosiery and also to incorporate a similarly covered rubber strand in turn-down cufi anklets. The extent of stretch of knitted fabric in which a covered rubber yarn is laid-in is usually limited, not by the knitted structure, but primarily by the covering wrapped in helical convolutions around the core of rubber yarn. Upon continued stretching of the knitted fabric, the covering tends to bind the rubber yarn core to limit its elongation for a limited extent of the yarn and the rubber yarn will become fractured or broken within this restricted extent.

Various yarn feeding devices have been employed in combination with knitting machines in order to feed covered rubber yarn which yarn has properties of elongation considerably different from uncovered rubber yarn in that the covering will tend to restrict the yarn elongation as the yarn is fed under some tension to the knitting instrumentalities. Positively driven feed rolls, snubber rolls and other devices have been employedfor use in combination with knitting machines to feed covered rubber yarn to the knitting instrumentalities but these have been unsatisfactory for feeding uncovered rubber yarn and other yarns including metallic yarns.

It is an object of this invention to provide a yarn feeding apparatus for knitting machines in which the yarn may be fed to the knitting instrumentalities with a minimum of tension.

Yet another object of this invention is the provision of a yarn compensating device for feeding a highly elastic yarn and other yarns to a knitting machine which device is operative to feed the yarn as required by the knitting instrumentalities without causing undue slack.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a yarn feeding device having a feed drum or roller over which convolutions of a highly elastic yarn may be wound for feeding to knitting instrumentalities and wherein the rate of roller rotation is controlled by the demand of yarn supply in the knitting cycle, with means being provided to control the rotational speed of the feed roller.

This invention also contemplates a yarn supply means in which the yarn is supplied to the knitting instrumentalities of a knitting machine as required with the requisite tension being determined by the rate of yarn delivery from the yarn supply means.

Other objects and many of the attendant advantages of this novel yarn feeding apparatus will be more readily apparent from the following detailed description of one preferred embodiment taken in conjunction with the following drawing in which like characters of reference ice designate corresponding parts throughout the several views and wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a knitting machine illustrating, in perspective view, the yarn compensating device of this invention feeding yarn to knitting instrumentalities of a knitting machine;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged front elevational view, with a section removed therefrom, of the yarn compensating device with a yarn package supported thereon;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the device shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a greatly enlarged fragmentary front view, with a section removed, of'the yarn feed drum brake mechanism; and

Fig. 5 is a greatly enlarged side view of the fragmentary portion of the brake mechanism illustrated in Fig. 4.

Referring to the drawing and particularly to Fig. 1 there is illustrated a conventional knitting machine frame 10 having a needle cylinder 11 mounted thereon with the knitting instrumentalities including needles, sinkers, and yarn feed fingers (not being shown as they do not constitute a part of this invention) and a yarn supply control apparatus 12 that is supported by the stanchion 13 mounted on the machine bracket 14 with a yarn 15 to be fed to the knitting instrumentalities being unwound from the yarn package 16 that is supported on the yarn supply control apparatus.

As previously noted, the knitting of fabric with an elastic yarn has been virtually restricted to the use of a textile covered or wrapped rubber core yarn with the normal tension in the yarn being absorbed primarily by the limiting extension of the covering. It has been found that the difficulty. of knitting a fabric with a bare rubber yarn, whether by laying-in or knitting the rubber yarn has resulted in a fabric having a puckered effect .due to the lack of uniformity in the feeding and tension of the uncovered yarn. This puckering effect is particularly noticeable in fabrics in which the loop structure is rather small. However, in elongated loop knitted fabrics, such as what is commonly known in the hosiery trade is the Morpul fabric for stockings, in which a covered rubber yarn is laid-in in consecutive, alternate or multiple spaced courses and the degree of stretch in the cuff portion is greater than that which is normally encountered in other portions of the stocking, there is a tendency for the textile covering to bind the rubber core and upon elongation or stretching of the fabric, the rubber core will break first completely destroying the utility of the fabric for its intended purpose. With the use of the present invention a minimum of stress is imparted to the rubber yarn and the fabric may be stretched to greater limits. Furthermore, by utilizing uncovered rubber yarn there is a resulting reduction in the cost of the knitted fabric.

The yarn supply control apparatus or yarn compensator device 12 is provided with a yarn package supporting base 17 at the bottom of which is a collar 18 for receiving the end of a supporting stanchion 13 and on the upper surface a boss 19 is provided for receiving the frusto-conical base and cylindrical tube 20 of the yarn package 16 on which convolutions of yarn are wound. A pair of vertically-extending arms 21 and 22 is fastened as by bolts 23 to the periphery of the circular base and each 'arm reaches upwardly above the top of the yarn package. A U-shaped member 24 is fastened as by the bolts 25 between the arms 21 and 22 on the inside faces thereof directly above the yarn package. Yarn guide eyelet 27 is centrally supported in the U-shaped member 24 and is preferably positioned in axial alignment wtih the package core to receive the yarn therethrough.

Shaft 28 is vertically spaced above the member 24 and the shaft ends are securely supported within the arms 21 and 22. The cylindrical roller or drum 29 having a suitable frictional cylindrical surface covering or a serrated or knurled surface to prevent excessive yarn slippage is mounted for free rotation through the bearings 30 on the shaft 28.

A yarn is unwound from the yarn package 16 and threaded through the yarn guide eyelet 27 for introduction onto the drum surface and a number of helical turns 31 is made in one direction to a drum discharge position which will be determined by the positioning of the yarn exit guide 33 that is secured on the horizontal strap 34 fastened to the arms 21 and 22 by bolts 35. It is desirable that the travel of the yarn being discharged from the drum surface will be transverse to the .direction of initial introduction to the drum surface.

It has been found in some applications that adequate frictional contact between an elastic yarn and the drum surface may be provided by a finely knurled surface with the drum material being made of aluminum. However, it may be desirable to provide a cot made of rubber or a coating of a suitable synthetic material may be applied to the drum surface.

In those applications where increased tension in the supply yarn is to be provided or where other yarns are to be employed and an increased retarding or braking efliect is necessary to snub the drum, a brake 38 is mounted on the arm 21 through an opening therein to insert the sleeve 39 which sleeve is provided with a cylinder 40 for housing the spring 41, washer 42, and projecting drum-end-engaging brake finger 43 which finger may be made of wood, rubber or other suitable frictional material. Sleeve 39 extends from the plate 44 that is fastened to the side of arm 21 by means of the screws 45. Plate 44 is tapped to threadably receive the braketensioning bolt 47 therein with the bolt 47 having a locking nut 48 thereon to adjust and lock the bolt 47 in the desired position to control the braking action of the finger 43. It will be apparent that the drum may be provided with a helical groove or track to confine the yarn being fed to the knitting instrumentalities.

Obviously many modifications and variations may be made in the construction and arrangement of the drum, drum surface and brake of this invention in the light of the above teachings without departing from the real 4 spirit and purpose of this invention. It is, therefore, to be understood that within the scope of the appended claim many modified forms of structure as well as the use of mechanical equivalents may reasonably be included and modifications are contemplated.

What is claimed is:

A yarn feed controlling device for use in combination with a knitting machine comprising a U-shaped frame, a stanchion for supporting said U-shaped frame on a knitting machine, means for supporting a yarn package on the U-shaped frame, a shaft reaching across the U- shaped frame and supported thereon, a cylindrical roller having a peripheral surface for resisting yarn slippage rotatably mounted on the shaft, 21 pair of vertically spaced apart bars reaching across the U-shaped frame and supported thereon, one of said bars being secured below the roller and having a yarn guide mounted thereon to position a yarn being removed from the yarn package onto the roller intermediae the roller length, the other of said bars being secured above said other bar and having a yarn guide mounted thereon laterally spaced from said other guide to receive yarn leaving the roller after form ing' a least one yarn convolution about the roller, and a resilient adjustable member mounted on the U-shaped frame engaging the roller for controlling the free rotation thereof asyarn is removed from the yarn package and passes around the roller.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 751,930 Lundgren .Q. Feb. 9, 1904 1,329,341 Jarry Jan. 27, 1920 1,874,379 Stewart Aug. 30, 1932 1,977,068 Klein Oct. 16, 1934 2,073,818 Viens Mar. 16, 1937 2,123,936 Dreyfus et a1. July 19, 1938 2,281,427 Freer Apr. 28, 1942v 2,366,101 Grothey Dec. 26, 1944 2,532,467 St. Pierre Dec. 5, 1950 2,578,620 Wilhelm Dec. 11, 1951 2,586,123 Truitt Feb. 19, 1952 2,705,362 Roughsedge Apr. 5, 1955 

